No matter the time of year or the climate of your destination, the inside of an airplane is always as cold as winter.
It’s not surprising that blankets are one of the most requested items by passengers on commercial flights. Many experienced travelers or those who are cautious often bring a spare jacket in case the cabin temperature gets too cold.
But why is the airplane cabin so cold? This is a question that many passengers have wondered about for decades. On an aviation forum, a passenger on a Southwest Airlines flight complained that their two-hour flight was so cold they could see their breath.
This low temperature can be particularly “daunting” for those with health issues or who are sensitive to cold. There are several reasons why airplanes keep the cabin air conditioning low, both objective and subjective.
A published study by the American Society for Testing and Materials (ASTM) indicates that high cabin temperatures can lead to the risk of passengers fainting.
If you don’t bring extra warm clothing like a scarf or jacket, you can ask the flight attendants for a thin blanket. (Photo: News).
According to this study, fainting occurs when the airplane ascends above ground level, leading to reduced lung ventilation or decreased blood flow to the brain due to immobility, drowsiness, and gas buildup in the abdomen. The study shows that high cabin temperatures will ‘trigger’ this condition.
Therefore, on a flight with hundreds of people, each person’s perception of heat varies, so the crew must keep the cabin temperature lower to avoid risks.
Low temperatures also help prevent dehydration. The air inside the airplane is already dry, so temperature control needs to be activated; otherwise, passengers may become ill or feel nauseous.
Passengers complain about the cold, but the crew “prefers it that way.”
Regardless of which commercial flight you are on, one unavoidable fact is that passengers depend on the temperature adjustment made by the crew. According to an anonymous flight attendant responding to Frommers, the crew prefers slightly lower temperatures.
This is because flight attendants and pilots often wear layered clothing and need to move around the cabin — this activity can make them feel warmer than passengers who wear lighter clothing and sit still for extended periods. More importantly, in turbulent conditions, passengers feel more comfortable at lower temperatures.
Ultimately, the perception of temperature is subjective, and even at the same temperature, some may feel hot while others are asking for an extra blanket.
